R' Ashlag Ch. 13 (sect. 1)

Rabbi Yehudah Ashlag's "Introduction to the Zohar"

-- as translated and commented on by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

__________________________________________________

Ch. 13

1.

"But we'd still need to understand (a few things about) this. How in fact could the ratzon l’kabel have been a part of G-d's original intentions for creation when it's so defiled and impure, and G-d's Being is so unfathomably and indescribably purely-one?"

-- That is, how could a pastiche of desires like wanting to take-in and not wanting to give-out at the same time have been a part of G-d's purely-one Being on *any* level (since, don't forget, G-d and His will are one; so His original intentions and He are one as well). After all, the two are so antithetical it seems blasphemous to see them intertwined. But as we'll soon see, there's no real contradiction there.

R' Ashlag Ch. 12

Rabbi Yehudah Ashlag's "Introduction to the Zohar"

-- as translated and commented on by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

__________________________________________________

Ch. 12

-- This chapter is a sort of quick review of much we've learned so far. All I've done has been to expand upon some of R' Ashlag's allusions in a few parenthetical remarks.

"We have thus clearly explained how the ratzon l’kabel -- which had been implanted in our souls in order to fulfill (G-d's) intentions for creation (after all) -- is to be rectified. For (as we said,) G-d purposefully prepared the aforementioned two parallel but opposite systems (i.e., holy-A.B.Y.A. and defiled-A.B.Y.A.) which all souls pass through and then become separated into two capacities, body and spirit, which become enmeshed with each other."

"But they're able to eventually transform the trait of a ratzon l’kabel into a ratzon l’kabel al m’nat l’hashpia by adhering to Torah and mitzvot, and they then become ready to accept all the good (prepared for them, as laid out) in (G-d's original) intentions for creation."

"And they also merit experiencing a strong attachment onto G-d as a consequence of their having attained an affinity with Him, which is full and absolute rectification, by adhering to Torah and mitzvot."

"(Another series of monumental events would then occur.) The impure Other Side would be eliminated from the world, since there’d no longer be a need for it, and death would be annihilated (see Isaiah 25: 8). All the Torah and mitzvah-based tasks given to the world for the duration of the six thousand years (of the universe as we know it) as well as to every individual in the course of his seventy years of life would (prove to only have existed in order to) bring them to the ultimate rectification that is the affinity of tsurot we spoke about."

"(An additional consequence of what we’ve indicated to now is that) the issue of how the husks and impurity could come about from G-d's own Holiness has been solved, (for as we’d explained) it had to exist in order to allow for bodies that would eventually be rectified by (adherence to) Torah and mitzvot."

"For if our bodies with their defiled ratzon l’kabel would not have passed through the impure system, we would never have been able to rectify ourselves, since one cannot correct something not (already) within him."

(c) 2004 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

(Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org )

********************************
Get your own copy of Rabbi Feldman’s translation of “The Gates of Repentance” by logging onto http://www.aronson.com/jbookstore/ and typing in "The Gates of Repentance".
Rabbi Yaakov Feldman has translated and commented upon "The Gates of Repentance", "The Path of the Just", and "The Duties of the Heart" (Jason Aronson Publishers). And his new work on Maimonides' "The Eight Chapters" will soon be available from Judaica Press.
His works are available in bookstores and in various locations on the Web.
Rabbi Feldman also offers two free e-mail classes on www.torah.org entitled "Spiritual Excellence" and "Ramchal".

Addendum

In case you hadn't noticed, I added a couple of pragraphs to the end of the last entry. We'll go on to the next chapter soon enough, please G-d.

R' Ashlag Ch. 11 (sect. 3)

Rabbi Yehudah Ashlag's "Introduction to the Zohar"

-- as translated and commented on by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

__________________________________________________

Ch. 11 (sect. 3)

"After all, as it’s written in Tractate Kiddushin (7a) that when it comes to a prominent man, a woman can offer (a betrothal pledge) and the man can agree to confirm the betrothal. That's because it's an instance of someone accepting something in order to please someone else, which is deemed complete bestowance and giving."

-- Here’s the entire statement in the Talmud (with explanation) along with R' Ashlag's remark about it.
“Raba asked: What if she says (i.e., what would be the halachic outcome if a woman says to a man) ‘Here's a maneh-coin (as a betrothal pledge -- when it's the man who usually offers it to the woman; and she then says) ... 'I am hereby betrothed to you'? (Is she in fact bethrothed to him?)
Mar Zutra ruled in R. Papa's name that she *is*.... (But, how could that be? Because) He's a prominent man whom she completely abdicates to (in great joy, and thus agrees to *his "offer to marry her"*, so to speak) because of the satisfaction (she derives) from the fact that (someone of his stature) would accept a gift (i.e., a betrothal pledge) from (someone like) her.”
R' Ashlag terms that whole transaction "an instance of someone accepting something in order to please someone else", and he equates it with out-and-out bestowance. Let's explain.
-- As we've learned, while we're all very ready and willing to take-in and hardly willing to bestow, there are nonetheless instances in which we're indeed willing and even eager to bestow -- when we benefit from our "generosity" as well. So, to use the Talmudic example, if someone important were willing to take something (a betrothal pledge in this instance) from me, I'd be so honored by his deigning to acknowledge my presence that his *taking* it from me would actually be tantamount to his *bestowing me* with something.
-- Thus we see that one can indeed take-in as we're inclined to do and yet do so *altruistically* -- when he bestows in return. R' Ashlag's final point is that doing that is in fact the best that we could hope for as human beings who always need to take in, unlike G-d who has no need to take-in and always bestows.

"For when one does that, he comes to be utterly attached to the other, since d’vekut on a spiritual level comes about with an affinity of tsurot (as we'd indicated). For as our sages put it, "One cannot attach himself onto G-d (per se), but (he can attach onto or align himself with) His attributes" (see Sifre to Deut. 11:22). For when one does that, he merits receiving the delight, pleasure, and pleasantness that lie within the (original) thought of creation."

-- In sum, when we take-in so as to give-back we align ourselves with G-d's being as much as we can as humans, and we thus come to cling unto His Presence. This will prove to be a major thesis of R' Ashlag's, and one of the primary ways he indicated we can fulfill our roles in life en toto and G-d’s wishes for us.
-- R' Ashlag offers a cogent parable for this. A certain Mr. A was hungry when he arrived at his friend Mr. B's house; and whether knowing that or not, Mr. B offered him a meal. Mr. A declined despite his hunger, because he didn't want to put Mr. B out by eating at his friend's expense. As any good host would, Mr. B insisted on serving Mr. A something, and Mr. A finally accepted so as not to upset his host.
-- The point is that though Mr. A did indeed benefit from his friend's largesse, he did as much good for Mr. B by accepting his meal as he did by satisfying his own hunger; and that Mr. A, too, became a benefactor in the process like Mr. B. So we see that we can indeed bestow even as we take-in; and that that's essentially equivalent to out-and-out bestowing.

(c) 2004 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

(Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org )

********************************
Get your own copy of Rabbi Feldman’s translation of “The Gates of Repentance” by logging onto http://www.aronson.com/jbookstore/ and typing in "The Gates of Repentance".
Rabbi Yaakov Feldman has translated and commented upon "The Gates of Repentance", "The Path of the Just", and "The Duties of the Heart" (Jason Aronson Publishers). And his new work on Maimonides' "The Eight Chapters" will soon be available from Judaica Press.
His works are available in bookstores and in various locations on the Web.
Rabbi Feldman also offers two free e-mail classes on www.torah.org entitled "Spiritual Excellence" and "Ramchal".